Shirah Hadasha Shiur

Tonight we hosted the second of Rina's Pardes Speakers Series, this time on Parternship Minyanim (Shirah Hadasha style prayer). The speaker was one of the founding members of the shul, and brought a wealth of information to the group. While at times the lesson was derailed by interesting and provocative questions (about halacha, motivation, and the future of the movement), overall the event was interesting and very informative. Most of the shiur centered around the idea of "kavod ha'tzibbur", trying to define what the term means, and how it applies in the context of a liberal Orthodox minyan. the sources ranged from the Talmud and Shulchan Aruch through Rav Moshe Feinstein and Ovadya Yosef, and most endorsed female participation during the Torah service (in principle, at least). Very interesting.